Brandon Parker and Stephen & Carole Crevani of Crevani Farms will be honoured by Monticello-Goshen USHWA when the chapter hosts its 59th annual awards banquet this Sunday, Dec. 3 at the Fountains at Wallkill Golf Club.

Brandon Parker, son of Monticello Raceway’s all-time leading driver, Billy “Zeke” Parker, Jr. will receive the Rising Star Award and Crevani Farms will receive the inaugural Cradle of the Trotter Breeders Award.

Brandon Parker, has been around horses his entire life. Soon to turn 19, he was born and raised in Monticello. In this, his first year of driving, the soft-spoken young man has done all his talking out on the racetrack.

As of Dec. 2, “Lil Zeke” has had 448 starts in his first year of driving, posting 42 wins, 56 seconds and 57 thirds and a UDRS of .206. In fact, he ripped through his “Q” drives in a few weeks and just got his “P” license in May. Basically, Parker amassed all those starts in just over half a year.

But for a kid who was hanging around the barn at age six, with a world-class driver for a father, harness racing came relatively naturally. He watches race tapes of all his favourite drivers and tried to learn their style. With an attention to detail he pores over replays like Mike Tyson reviews fight footage. Parker likes to study the film and pick out their nuances.

He is also admired by his peers for his poise at such a young age. Of course the Monticello Raceway driving colony has always been known to produce more than its share of successful reinsmen.

For decades, Stephen Crevani balanced a demanding career as a high-rise builder with his interest in breeding and racing harness horses.

Now that he is retired, the 75-year-old has been able to focus all of his attention on the horse business and is reaping greater rewards as a result.

He bred, owned and trained Bullville Powerful p,3,1:49 ($870,812), a son of Bettors Delight who won the Empire Breeders Classic and the NYSS final at three. He was the sparkle of Crevani’s eye, despite having the misfortune of being born the same year as Somebeachsomewhere and Art Official.

“I’m retired and spending more time with the horses, and I’m having more success,” said Crevani, whose business holdings also included a bank. “This is my life blood now. I was a workaholic when I was a builder. Now my wife says I’ll never get ulcers, I’ll just give them.”

Crevani always has a small but sincere group of horses in training and handful of broodmares at the family farm in Bullville, New York. All of his horses bear the “Bullville” moniker.

Crevani began breeding and racing horses in 1975 and his name has been a consistent presence in the Meadowlands program since the track opened the following year. He purchased the original Excelsior Farm in Bullville and at one time had well over 150 horses on the ground. Over the years, well over 400 horses have been bred by Crevani.

Crevani’s wife, Carole, and many of their five children and 15 grandchildren think he may be somewhat eccentric the way he drives all his own babies at Goshen each summer. But that is what he lives for: the excitement and the passion for the sport.

This year, in addition to the year-end awards for horses and horse people from the local tracks, the Monticello-Goshen chapter will also honour Ray Schnittker (Lifetime Achievement Award); Herbie Burns (John Gilmour Good Guy Award); Dave Hanson (Excelsior Award); Tim Masters (Amy Bull Crist Distinguished Service Award); Joseph Lee (Amateur Driver); and Carole Macedonio (Award of Appreciation).

Tickets for the gala event are still available and can be reserved by contacting Shawn Wiles at (845) 794-4100 extension 458 or Email: [email protected], or contact Chris Tully at (845) 807-7538 or Email: [email protected].

(USHWA)